This article is dedicated to all of the kids out there who think the orange juice they drink at breakfast, the cookies they eat after lunch, the candy they trade at school and the Gatorade they chug after practice are no big deal.
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| This is the amount of sugar in RockStar Energy Drink ! |
In other words, all kids across America. And also to their parents who believe the same thing: Daily intake of sugar is harmless and just a function of childhood.
This is also for my children, who know from my endless preaching that sugar is not good for them, yet never seem to remember any of the reasons why.
WHAT IS SUGAR?
Sugar is a sweet substance that comes from plants, mostly sugar cane and sugar beets. It is one big carbohydrate called sucrose made up of two smaller carbohydrates called fructose and glucose. Sugar has absolutely no nutritional value — no protein, vitamins, minerals or fiber.
WHY DO I LIKE IT SO MUCH?
Sugar has been shown to have an effect similar to an addictive drug, triggering you to want and need more, and making it hard to give up.
Sugar was brought to Europe in the 1100s as a precious drug, known for its “tremendous addictive potential,” and was called “crack” during that time in France, said psychotherapist Julia Ross in her book “Mood Cure.”
Quickly removing refined sugar from a diet can cause withdrawal symptoms like those with a drug: fatigue, depression, headaches and achy limbs.
Studies also have shown that over consumption of sugar can alter your taste buds so you begin craving sweeter and sweeter foods, leaving the more natural sweetness of fruits or whole foods less flavorful.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I EAT SUGAR?
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| This is the amount of sugar in a 20 oz soda. |
When you consume sugar, it enters your blood rapidly because there aren’t any nutrients or fiber to slow it down. This causes the sugar or glucose levels in your blood to rise. Your body then hustles to process this sugar because it knows you could be in grave danger from too much blood sugar.
To process the sugar, your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin. Insulin allows the glucose to leave your blood and enter your cells, providing a rush of energy. As the cells absorb the glucose from your blood, your blood sugar levels drop.
If you eat a lot of sugar, the insulin works overtime to force the glucose out and your blood sugar down, dropping it too low, which makes the brain react. This reaction causes you to feel tired and grumpy or agitated and anxious, and leaves you craving more sugar.
WHAT LONG-TERM EFFECTS DOES IT HAVE?
Eating too much sugar can make you feel full so you don’t eat enough healthful foods. Then your body ends up missing important nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals.
Refined sugar has been linked to the following diseases and health complications:
• Obesity and Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease and high blood pressure
• Cancer
• Depression
• Allergies
• ADD/ADHD
• Asthma
• Arthritis
HOW DOES SUGAR MAKE ME FAT?
If you eat more sugar than your body can use in a day, it stores the sugar it doesn’t need in the liver or converts it to fat. When you do this regularly, you damage your liver and build up fat.
DOES SUGAR REALLY CAUSE CAVITIES?
Yes. Tooth decay begins with bacteria that naturally live in the mouth. These bacteria burn sugar in order to thrive, and during this process convert sugar into acid. The acid eats away at a tooth’s enamel, which causes cavities. Sticky foods like Skittles and Starburst and long-lasting candies such as lollipops and Jolly Ranchers are the worst for teeth because they allow the sugar to dawdle in the mouth for a prolonged period.
WHAT CAN I DO?
I recommend that parents and their kids (age 10 and older) watch the film “Fed Up” together and join the filmmakers’ challenge to give up sugar for 10 days and see how they feel.
And if you want to have a sizable impact on your lifelong health, reduce your sugar consumption all year long! References:
By Casey Seidenberg
The Washington Post
The Grand Rapids Press
M-Live
